All The Sunshine Banishes The Dark
by Yukikaze101
Summary: Following Masataka's decision to stay, Maya tries to seal the deal. The sequel to Fumbling Towards Clarity.


_All the Sunshine Banishes the Dark_

A _Tenjou Tenge_ fanfic by Yukikaze101

 _Tenjou Tenge_ belongs to Ito "Oh! Great" Ōgure, Shueisha, and TV Asahi. If I owned it, the ending would probably have been way more like this. (There are also sideways references to characters and places from _Ikki Tousen_. That series is the property of Shiozaki Yuji, Comic Gum, Tokyopop, J.C. Staff, Arms, and AT-X.)

Note: This is the sequel to _Fumbling Towards Clarity_ , written years and years ago under my old account, Kei Masaki. (Apologies for the wait, to everyone who's been asking for this. I hope you enjoy it.)

The fic's title is taken from "Summertime" by the Sundays (a true classic which is a must for any love-song playlist, IMO).

* * *

Maya took her time dressing this morning.

She had spent a lot of time thinking about how to handle this, when the time came. Her normal choices in schoolwear wouldn't do. She knew Masataka had a bit of a thing for traditional girls and their traditional look, so she seriously considered a kimono. _Maybe when we go on an actual date,_ she mused.

The black eye was healing, slowly but steadily, and she touched it gingerly, smiling fondly. There was something truly fucked up in the way love and violence were intertwined in their world. She remembered how aghast Taka… _Masataka_ looked when he realized what had happened. It was kind of endearing, honestly.

In the world outside their dysfunctional community of martial artists, Masataka would be considered a catch. Even here, even now, Maya was shocked that there weren't more girls flocking to him. Quiet strength, expressed through devotion and endurance, only loudly demonstrated when necessary… No, maybe not. Maybe that was something a normal high schooler couldn't appreciate. Or could only appreciate in the absract.

Maya could. She did sometimes wonder why it took so long for her perception of Masataka to shift, and when exactly it happened.

She didn't wonder what she was going to do about it, anymore, though. Life was too short.

In the end, it was the painfully obvious choice that came to her.

She didn't think he'd ever seen her in her full-blown uniform before…

-xxxx-

Aya just stared when she saw her sister emerge. "Onee-chan?"

"Geez, it's like you've never seen me wear a school uniform before," Maya grumbled.

"Did Takayanagi-sempai ask you to wear that?" Aya muttered suspiciously. She was still trying to wrap her head around that. Oh, she could admit that, his rivalry with Souichiro-sama aside, he was a pretty decent guy (and, she was finding, _that_ was a sadly uncommon state of affairs at Toudou). And he was definitely a strong fighter. But aside from those things, there really wasn't much that stood out about him...

"He hasn't the faintest idea," Maya told her. "Knowing him, he'll be as shocked as anybody else."

Aya watched her older sister, looking thoughtful. "You've really been thinking about this awhile, haven't you?" At her nod, she asked, "Why didn't you say something before?"

"Because there was this stupid little bitch he had a crush on," Maya said, no little exasperation in her voice. "Someone who always had her eyes on some punk who couldn't appreciate anything."

Aya had to recoil slightly from the vitriol in her sister's voice. Whoever that stupid girl was, she really didn't want to meet her. _It sounds like onee-chan wants to pin her to the school gates with Reiki!_ "Well, at least he's over her now, right?"

"I think so. Today, I'll make sure he is."

* * *

Masataka heard the susurrus in the courtyard, and looked up, following their eyes.

When he saw who they were watching, he stared, too.

He didn't think he'd ever seen Maya in the full school uniform before. Even the abbreviated one was a rare sight. If she was ever not in hakama and kimono, or street clothes, apocalypse must be nigh.

But here she was, fully decked out. Jacket, neckerchief, and all. More than that, her hair was not down and free; instead, it was gathered into a high, thick ponytail, secured by a bright blue ribbon. Natsume Maya was a knockout no matter what she wore, but looking all put-together like this moved her to an entirely different level.

It wasn't like he'd never seen her as a woman. But it felt like a level of awareness that hadn't been present before, a piece of the puzzle, was clicking into place. He wasn't at all sure that was a good thing, though.

His eyes darted a glance at the sky, just to make sure it wasn't falling on Toudou.

"Morning, Takayanagi," she said to him as she approached. He could see that the black eye was fading, but still present. He could also see the surprisingly jealous looks directed at him; even though he was just her clubmate, he could see half the student body salivating over her, and he could sense the envy at getting to walk with and talk to her.

"Morning, buchou," he answered, falling into step with her. "Sleep okay?"

"I actually did," she replied. Was it just him, or was there something just a little off about her this morning? "You?"

"Better than I expected, after the beating you gave me last night," Masataka answered in a good-naturedly teasing tone.

The response he was expecting was a snort, or a laugh and light punch in the arm.

What he got was Maya coloring slightly, and muttering, "Yeah, sorry 'bout that."

"Um, it's okay," he said quickly. "Training, right? That happens in training…" The _last_ thing he needed was to start thinking about how cute she looked when she was blushing. "Oh! Ah, you, ah, look really good…" _Stupid, stupid, stupid! How could you even_ say _that?!_

"Thanks," she said, her cheeks coloring a little more. Her tone sounded oddly distracted. "Listen, I need to talk to you about stuff after club."

"Sure. What's up?"

"We'll get to that." She gave him one of her usual cocky grins, though something about it seemed subtly different. "Don't worry, you're not in trouble or anything. Unless there's something I need to know about..."

"If you say so, buchou," Masataka said with a snort and a shake of the head.

He _really_ didn't have any business finding her cute.

If he told himself that enough times, it might start working.

* * *

Bob wondered if he was the only noticing this.

There was something… odd going on, between Takayanagi and Maya. Normally, their interactions were friendly and relaxed, albeit with heavy shadings of their respective places in the club hierarchy. But today, it was… different. Not hostile, but more like something had changed, and they were adjusting to the new dynamic.

If it were any other two people, Bob would think it was the morning-after awkwardness following a drunken love confession. That was ridiculous, though.

He kept half an eye on them as he, Nagi, and Aya worked on katas. They were chatting about club business, that could be heard easily enough. But… there were the quick looks Maya kept darting at him when she thought he wasn't looking. And Takayanagi's expression kept taking on some kind of thoughtful quality, like he was wondering if he was seeing what he thought he was.

...hmm.

 _Maybe it's less crazy than I was thinking,_ Bob mused.

He decided not to comment on it to Nagi or Aya. His best friend was a hothead who had his own crush on Maya, and was liable to try and assault Takayanagi for even seeming to grow closer to her. And Aya, well, she kept glancing warily at the two of them herself. Bob was pretty sure she knew more than he did at this point, and had mixed feelings about what she was seeing.

"All right, kids," Maya said loudly. "Work on your katas this afternoon. Takayanagi and I will be taking a little trip."

"What the hell?" Nagi groused. "We're doing scut work, and - "

"I'm so glad you asked that, Nagi," Maya snapped back. "You're doing scut work _because_ you're first-years, and scut work is part of the deal! Takayanagi and I are scouting out other schools, looking for potential candidates to transfer to Toudou and maybe join this club. Unless you think _your_ sparkling personality is up to the task…"

Nagi flushed, and muttered, "Then why're you taking _him_?!"

"Because he's a second-year and has a working brain," Maya replied bitingly. "Neither of those things apply to you."

"You probably want to avoid Nanyo, then," Bob commented loudly, trying to stave off any further arguments. "That place is even crazier than Toudou. Actually, all the schools in that area have some screwed-up rivalry."

Maya smiled thinly. "That almost sounds like a challenge. But I'll keep that in mind, thanks." She glanced at Masataka. "Get changed, and meet me at the front gate."

"Sure, buchou," Masataka said, sounding wary but game. He left the clubhouse, not noticing the brief-but-lingering glance Maya gave him. (Bob and Aya did catch that, though. Nagi was still too busy grousing about "scut work.")

"Well, then," Maya told the remaining three club members, "work on your katas and give the place a good once-over, then call it a day. Depending on how this little trip goes, Takayanagi and I may have to go back out tomorrow. If we do, call it a half-day."

"Yes, buchou," the three first-years chorused. Nagi continued to look mutinous, but Bob and Aya seemed, if not accepting, then at least resigned.

Maya took her leave, and Bob noticed her pace was… less leisurely than usual. He looked at Aya, clearing his throat, and said carefully, "So, I guess it's just the three of us today."

"Yeah, I guess it is. Probably tomorrow, too, knowing onee-chan," Aya said, ambivalence heavily laced through her tone. She looked towards Nagi. "Souichiro-sama, you're getting it wrong! Let me show you…"

* * *

"Bob wasn't kidding about Nanyo," Masataka said breathlessly as they ducked into the lobby of a Gusto. "Those girls are _crazy_. We weren't even on their campus, anyway!"

"Tell me about it," Maya said. She felt a touch winded herself. Sprinting a few blocks was nothing at all to a Toudou student, particularly senior members of the Juken Club. Sprinting _twenty_ blocks, half of that spent in a running street fight with insane schoolgirls, was an entirely different story. "I think we've lost them, though."

"It's a school full of chuunibyou who can actually back it up," Masataka was saying. "That's the _only_ explanation for that girl with the eyepatch."

Maya had to laugh at that. In retrospect, she had to admit that Bob had had a very good point. She hadn't been able to resist the urge to see Nanyo students in action, and what she'd seen impressed her. And then it had worried her, as they decided they didn't want their apparent turf war with a different school to have witnesses.

She looked around the restaurant they'd ducked into. It was largely empty, between rushes, and the hostess was looking at them expectantly. She realized this was an opportunity, and turned towards Masataka. "Let's grab a bite."

He blinked, and looked at her in confusion. "But - "

"After that little fiasco, we deserve a little break," Maya told him with a slight grin. "C'mon, I'll buy."

Masataka seemed to weaken at the sight of her grin, and smiled a resigned smile of his own. "Okay, buchou, I give."

"'Maya.'"

He stared blankly at her for a moment before what she'd said caught up to him. When it did, he actually turned red, his eyes darting away. Maya found it both exasperating and endearing. "I-I'm sorry, what?"

She rolled her eyes. "After everything, I think you've earned the right to call me by my name, at least outside of the club."

Masataka licked his lips nervously, but nodded. "All right, Maya-san."

"Better." She smirked good-naturedly at him and turned towards the hostess, who was hiding a smile of her own. "A table for two, please."

* * *

"So. Thought any what you want to do after?" Maya asked as they sipped their pop.

Masataka looked up from his Hamburg steak. Running from crazy delinquent schoolgirls tended to make a guy hungry. "After?"

"You know. After Toudou. Maybe after university, too. I can see you going, spending all weekend in the library studying for finals," she teased good-naturedly.

"I guess I can too," he smiled ruefully. Truth be told, he couldn't imagine having a wild life at college. After nii-san was gone, he had no real idea what would happen. Would he end up taking over the family?

"If I had my way… I think I'd like to teach," he answered.

"As in martial arts, or as in school?" Maya asked curiously. She had been picking at her fries for awhile.

"Both, if possible," Masataka told her. "If I had to choose one, school." He chuckled wryly. "I think I've done a decent job of helping you train Aya-chan and the others."

"You have," she agreed. "After that, teaching at a normal high school should be easy. You could even come back to Toudou, maybe."

"Maybe," he allowed cautiously. The urge to leave Toudou behind in the dust wasn't as strong as it had been the day before, but it wasn't _gone_ , either. "What about you, Maya-san?"

"After Toudou…" Her expression was faintly mocking, but Masataka didn't think he was the target of her derision. "Damned if I know. My family's in shambles. The branch families are scattered to hell and gone. We've got money, at least, but…" She shrugged helplessly. "Heck, Takayanagi, teaching sounds as good as anything."

"I know you'd be good at it," he told her encouragingly.

"Heh, thanks. I don't know about teaching actual _subjects_ , though. Should probably stick to the dojo."

"Don't sell yourself short," he said with a good-natured smirk. "Want a refill?"

"Yeah. The iced tea, please." Maya passed him her empty glass. He walked over to the drinks bar, topping off their beverages before returning. "Maya-san?"

"Hmm?" She paused in mid-sip. Part of him wished he had a camera right at that moment; that was the most unguarded he'd ever seen her. It was really - _stop it, Masataka!_

"Why the questions? I don't mind answering, but they're a little out of nowhere…"

Maya shrugged, although there was something about her expression he couldn't quite place. "Maybe I'm starting to think about what comes next, too." She jabbed a finger playfully at him. "That's _your_ fault. Things were easier when all I had to think about was our next move against the Executive Committee."

"Hey, don't blame me," he retorted with a chuckle. "That just shows you have some common sense. I know _I_ couldn't live just for revenge."

"And _that's_ why I told Nagi you have a working brain," Maya replied with a laugh of her own. She cocked her head, looking at him critically.

"...what?" he asked, fighting the urge to squirm under her scrutiny.

"You feeling better? After last night, I mean?" she asked.

"I think so, more or less," he answered, a little surprised. It must have shown, because she snorted. "Don't look so surprised, Takayanagi. I _do_ care, y'know."

"I know you do," he said hurriedly. "Just thinking. I _am_ feeling better. Just… thinking."

"Are you lonely?" The words could have been sardonic or mocking. He would have expected that from Maya. Instead, her tone was almost concerned.

"Yeah. Of course I am," Masataka answered bluntly, more so than he'd intended.

"Takayanagi…" Maya's expression mingled sympathy and reproach. "I know things kinda suck right now. But I need - "

"I know, I know," he cut her off. "You need me sharp right now. I will be. I'm sticking it out till this thing is done. That doesn't mean I can't feel frustrated."

"Takayanagi - "

"And it's not even so much about Aya-chan. I told you, I'm done pining for her. Or not getting laid. It's… it's being an _afterthought_."

"An afterthought?" Maya repeated, her expression quizzical.

"It feels like it sometimes," Masataka said. He seemed to be winding down after the mini-rant, and his tone was slightly embarrassed. "Like the reaction of everyone I know is 'oh, you're there too, huh?' Always in nii-san's shadow, or Nagi makes a mess I end up having to clean up…" He shook his head. "No one seems to even notice if I'm there or not. It just gets hard to take sometimes."

"I notice, Takayanagi," Maya said softly. For some reason he couldn't begin to comprehend, she looked oddly chastened.

Masataka flushed in further embarrassment. "I know, Maya-san, I didn't mean you…"

"Yes, you did," Maya corrected, her expression now gently sardonic. Masataka hadn't known such a combination could exist. "Or, at least you should have. I can own up to my mistakes."

"Maya-san…" Masataka didn't know why he felt so compelled to console her. After all, there was a part of him that _agreed_ with her. That downcast look on her face, though… _Stop it, stop it! She's not some girly girl, she's_ Natsume Maya _! She doesn't need you to pat her on the head!_

 _...so why does she look like she does?_

"Maya-san… okay, maybe you have, but you're different from everyone else… look at this. Look what we're doing right now. This is the nicest anyone's been to me in almost three years, and it's _you_ doing it. You, and maybe Bunshichi-san, are the only ones who give any kind of damn what I think, or what I'm feeling. So… don't beat yourself up, okay?" Masataka was stumbling over his words, trying to push the consolation out. Without fully knowing why, he reached out to squeeze her hand.

 _She's warm,_ he thought. Her hand - he wanted to interlace his fingers with hers. The thought made his cheeks flare red.

He hadn't expected her to blush too as he touched her hand. Her face assumed its usual good-natured sneer, although there was a warmth he wasn't used to seeing behind it. Or maybe he was only now starting to recognize it? _Careful, that's a deep rabbit hole to go into, Masataka_ … "You're too nice for your own good, Takayanagi," she said with gentle chiding. Something about her tone seemed rang a bell, although he couldn't quite place where it came from.

"If I am, then I am," he said with a shrug. It wasn't like that was going to change anytime soon.

A thought occurred to him. "Y'know… 'Takayanagi' is a mouthful to keep saying. Like you said, we've been through a lot together. You can call me 'Masataka,' if you like." This offering meant nothing more than acknowledgment of a friend. It _should_ have meant nothing more. Why did his heart feel like it was on the verge of racing?

Her sneer curled into a smile. "Thanks. 'Masataka' is just as much a mouthful, too, though." Her smile turned mischievous. "'Masa-kun.' That sounds better."

"If you say so," he replied with a smirk. He had to smirk. If he didn't, she'd see right through him, see that his heart was racing. If she hadn't already. _Dammit! What did I keep telling myself - ?_

Aloud, he said, "At least it's not 'Masa-chan.' Make me sound like a pet dog…" He held up his hands quickly as she looked thoughtful. "Please, don't you dare!"

"Fine," Maya said in mock disappointment. "But only because you asked so nicely." She watched him for a long moment, long enough for him to start wondering what was up. "What time is it?"

Masataka fished out his phone. The screen read 18:10. "About six-ten. I think we've been here almost ninety minutes."

"The night is young," Maya announced, standing. "Do you have anything going on tonight?"

"Just a normal night," he answered. A normal night in that crackerbox apartment…

His father might be home, or might not be. If he was, he'd be brooding and plotting, or playing shogi against himself while brooding and plotting. The only TV was in the living room, and would be off limits so as to avoid interference with the brooding and plotting.

Even if his father was still at the office, Masataka probably wouldn't be watching TV. He'd be feeling too restless. Oftentimes, he'd actually study out of sheer boredom; that was probably why he was the only member of the Juken Club to be passing all his classes. Or he'd train, or walk around until late at night.

No, absolutely nothing was waiting for him at home.

"I've got nothing going on," he said, finishing his thought.

"Then you're coming with me," Maya declared, smiling conspiratorially. "You need to have some fun, and so do I."

Masataka stared at her for a moment, gobsmacked. From anyone else, he'd think he'd just been asked out… And, to his chagrin, he was really wanting to think that that was what was happening here.

 _Is this transference, or something?_ He'd heard the term before, for when a therapy patient fell for their therapist. If so, this really was "out of the frying pan, into the fire…"

 _Doesn't matter,_ he told himself. _When was the last time you blew off steam? When's the last time you had the green light to, instead of being expected to hold everyone else's coats? Here's your chance…_

"I can't argue with that," he said finally. "Okay, Maya-san, you got me. Let's go."

* * *

"Welp, that's the last train, missed," Masataka was saying. He gave Maya a wry smile. "Guess we're stuck in Akiba till morning, huh?"

"Looks like," Maya agreed.

They gave each other what-the-hell grins.

-xxxx-

On some level, Maya had been aware that she was drawing on the only real date experience she'd had: that night of competition with Mitsuomi that had ended up with them being ejected from Game Gio. She was pretty sure her ban had been lifted by now, but that wasn't the real reason she didn't take Masataka back there.

What she wanted was a night that had no ties back to anyone else. No tainted memories, no thoughts of what might have been. A night of fun with Masataka, of seeing him smiling and relaxed.

They had hopped the train to Akihabara. It was surprisingly uncrowded for the hour, and they'd made small talk during the ride. Upon arrival at the station, they made a beeline (well, to be more accurate, Maya had made a beeline and dragged Masataka like a kite) for Adores, for karaoke and dinner. She'd found that Masataka was surprisingly well-versed in mid-late-90s T.M. Revolution. (His performance of "Heart of Sword" had been entirely too well-received for her liking, and she'd had to resort to growls and dirty looks to drive off female admirers. He hadn't noticed a thing.)

Honestly, she hadn't meant them to spend the entire evening there. But before they knew it, it was last call and Masataka was dragging her away from the stage. It hadn't been _her_ fault she hadn't thought about Cubic U's cover of "Close to You" until the place was closing.

It wasn't until they stumbled into the station that they realized that the last train was already gone. It was about then that their stomachs started rumbling again. Luckily, the chef at the nearby izakaya was willing to let the leftover yakitori go for cheap, and they'd hunkered down on a bench with their food and cans of coffee while they contemplated their next move.

-xxxx-

"All right, Masa-kun! I've decided!" Maya made this declaration while waving a yakitori skewer around like a teacher's pointer.

"Decided what?" Masataka said, raising his eyebrows as he sipped his can of coffee.

"I'm gonna get you a girlfriend!"

Masataka half-choked on his drink. When he was able to breathe (and talk again), he stared at her, and asked incredulously, "Why?"

"What d'you mean, 'why?' You said you were lonely…"

"Maya-san…" He smiled wanly. "I already said I'd stay. I don't need to be bribed."

Masataka's face wore melancholy and care surprisingly well, Maya thought. It made his genuine smiles shine that much brighter. If a face could be said to perfectly reflect its owner's personality, it would have to be Takayanagi Masataka's.

Once you knew him, _really_ knew him, he was so handsome that it was a struggle to tear your eyes away.

 _I don't know why no one else can see it,_ she thought. _Their loss is my gain, though._

"Who said anything about a bribe?" she said aloud. "I _know_ you decided to stay. What I want is to give you something to _fight_ for. You said you can't live just for revenge, and that's good. But you can't tell me you can live on pure intentions alone, either. If you could, you wouldn't have thought about leaving in the first place."

Masataka's wan smile turned self-mocking for a moment. "I can see your point…"

"So, finding you a girlfriend is pretty much the only solution, isn't it?" Maya said with a sly smile.

"At _Toudou_?" he asked, and the skepticism in his tone could be heard from Mars.

"You don't think it's possible?"

"I didn't say it was _impossible_ … just…" Now he looked embarrassed. "There are girls who're already taken. And there're girls who only pay attention when you're the one in the spotlight for the moment. That covers almost all the girls at Toudou…"

"You're right," Maya agreed.

"Someone who's single, and a good woman, and at Toudou…" Masataka was idly twirling a yakitori skewer between two fingers as he thought aloud. "Well. Maya-san, that really just leaves y - " He stopped in mid-sentence, his face turning cherry-red as he realized what he was saying. "Um, Maya-san - " The skewer fell from suddenly-nerveless fingers, bouncing once on the bench between them.

Maya let her smile turn feline. She wouldn't hide it anymore, but she couldn't resist the urge to draw it out. He was so _cute_ when he was flustered and blushing. "Yes. About that."

Masataka gulped, but kept his eyes level and on hers. His words were far less composed right now. "Are you - you - when did this - "

"There's more than one way for a Natsume woman to take a husband," she said, her tone perfectly oh-by-the-way.

"...go on…" Masataka said, his voice breathless. He seemed to be regaining his composure now, but he was still on the brink.

"A _smart_ Natsume woman will choose her man, test him, and finally fight him," Maya continued. The way he was reacting actually warmed her heart. "And when I say 'choose,' I don't mean 'roll with it after he falls through my bathroom ceiling.'"

"Fight…" Masataka's eyes narrowed, and she knew he was mentally reviewing the prior night. Her second sentence snagged his attention again, and she could see the wheels turning, analyzing even further back.

"Usually, she'll make sure he has some idea what's coming, but my grandmother didn't with ojii-sama. She liked his flustered expressions too much." She smirked. "I'm a little like her, really."

"When did…" he trailed off.

"I first started noticing it after you joined the club. After you fought tooth and nail to join, even after I put you through that stupid hazing. You were reliable. You were steady. Free of that conviction that the world revolves around you."

She idly tapped her own can as she continued. "By the time Aya and the brats joined, I was almost certain. And then, crap started happening, and you were _still_ reliable. Helping Aya even though she broke your heart. Protecting Nagi even though you hated his guts." She gave Masataka a look that was at once imperious and loving. "There are lots of people at Toudou who _practice_ the martial arts, Masa-kun. You're the only who _gets them right_. How exactly was I _not_ supposed to fall for you?"

"But…" he said, slowly and with clear reluctance, "Nii-san… you two fought, and - "

"We never settled our contest, one way or another," Maya said with a dismissive flick of her wrist. "And you're forgetting the operative word, Masa-kun."

"'Choose…'" He said carefully, and she nodded.

"I never made that choice where your brother was concerned. If things had gone differently… but they didn't." Maya speared him with a rare utterly serious look. "I didn't come to this realization just last night, Masa-kun. Or the night before. I'm not even sure just _when_. But I _do_ know that, when I invited you to spar last night, I'd decided to make you my husband long before." She hesitated, then added, "So, don't call yourself an afterthought. Not ever again. That's the last thing I think of you as. Read me?"

"Y-yeah..." Masataka gulped again. He looked almost frozen, but there was one thing Maya was certain she was seeing.

Reciprocation.

"Maya-san, I don't know what to say…" His voice was barely audible.

"You only need to say one word, Masa-kun," she pressed gently.

"There's a bunch I need to say _after_ the one word," he pointed out.

"I know," she said. She really did; that was one of the reasons she'd come to love him. "Say it anyway."

"Yes," Masataka said, a self-conscious grin starting to break out across his face. "You knew I was gonna say that, though, Maya-san."

"I did," Maya admitted. She reached for his hand and squeezed it.

He squeezed it back. "I wish I could say - I only really realized I _could_ think of you like that today," he told her. "I just need time to catch up."

"You'll have it. But you don't need to worry." Her feline smile returned. "I'll make you fall for me if it's the last thing I do."

"You'll just need to sit there, then," Masataka said, his grin now looking rather silly. She didn't mind that at all.

"You'll forgive me if I try and hurry the process along," Maya said, leaning over. She savored the surprised look on his face as her lips met his.

He was warm.

Masataka scooted closer, being careful not to knock their late dinner off the bench. He reached out, awkwardly taking her by the shoulders as he returned the kiss. She felt him whisper her name against her mouth, and that brought a pleasant heat to her face.

Finally, they broke the kiss, staring at each other. Masataka brought one hand up to Maya's face, touching it gently. A small smile played at his lips.

"Don't look at me like that," Maya said quietly, her cheeks growing pinker. "I'm not exactly some shoujo manga heroine, Masa-kun." There was a part of her that still wondered about his feelings for Aya, who _was_ much closer to that.

"I know that, Maya-san," Masataka assured her. "I wouldn't know what to do with a girl like that." He laughed softly. "I want _you_ , Maya-san. A Natsume woman like you? You're the best possible thing for a Takayanagi like me." His own cheeks were pink now, but he was completely sincere.

"How can you say something like that with a straight face?" she blurted out, her lips curling up in a silly grin of her own. She couldn't deny how happy that made her to hear, though, and she was pretty sure it was showing on her face.

"Damn kids," a convenience store worker on his way home grumbled as he passed them. "Go to a fucking love hotel or something."

The two of them sat in silence for a long moment, glaring after him. Masataka found his words first. "Well, it's either that, or a net cafe…"

-xxxx-

In the end, they'd settled on a cubicle in a nearby net cafe. A love hotel would have been too much temptation for Masataka. He knew that too well, and he suspected the same applied to Maya.

They spent the next five hours relaxing in one of the private cubicles, waiting for the trains to start again. He wasn't sure either of them had actually managed sleep, aside from light drowsing. They _had_ spent a lot of time talking softly. And kissing. A _lot_ of kissing. Masataka felt himself starting to heat up again just thinking about it.

"Eyes front, Masa-kun," Maya said, nudging him gently. "It's our stop." They'd caught the first train back; both of them had been a little reluctant to leave the cubicle.

"Huh? Oh, right…" He snapped out of it, standing with her as the train pulled in.

"Don't get _too_ lost in thought," she said in her usual tone of good-natured teasing. "We've got a full day ahead of us."

"Yeah, I guess we do," Masataka agreed. Still, he felt more awake than he usually did at this time of day. "I guess we're going back out to scout again today, huh?"

"We probably should," Maya agreed lazily. "Or maybe we should just go back to Akiba, huh?" Her sly grin prompted one of his own.

"You just want more of that yakitori," he laughed, and they stepped onto the platform. "Heading home to change?"

"And get yelled at by Aya," she said with a shrug. "She doesn't see what I see in you. Big surprise."

"Well, I think I lucked out, all things considered," Masataka replied. He was a little surprised at how much he meant it. "Is she gonna be giving me crap at school?"

"Not at school. Might be a different story when you stay over," Maya said offhandedly, and her grin turned evil as he reddened at the thought.

"I'll… bear that in mind," he said, clearing his throat and trying to lose the blush. As they reached the station's exit, he turned towards her. "See you at school, then?"

"Yeah," Maya answered with a nod. She grabbed his hand, squeezing it, and disappeared into the crowd. Masataka watched her go, smiled ruefully, and slipped into the flow of traffic himself. He might have just enough to time get home and change too…

* * *

"I wonder what this is about?" Emi muttered. "What could Natsume want now?"

"Let's not stir up trouble 'less we have to," Bunshichi replied in a stage-whisper of his own. He'd had it up to _here_ with trouble, and the ongoing feud between the Executive Committee and the Juken Club was a walking example.

He did have to admit something was up, though. It had been a week since Valentine's Day, and the weirdness had started right after that. There'd been reports of the two delinquent transfers, Nagi and Makihara, finally being called to heel. There'd also been an official notice in the school paper about Takayanagi being appointed club co-vice-captain. (Everyone seemed to forget about the _actual_ vice-captain, that weird alien-like guy Kurei, so the general reaction had been "But I thought he _was_ vice-captain already…")

Something was clearly up. Bunshichi just hoped it wouldn't trigger another round of bodies hitting the floor.

 _I'm_ never _gonna get the springtime of my life back, not at this rate,_ he complained inwardly.

"Thanks for seeing me," Maya said in an unusually subdued tone. For a wonder, she was in her fully-grown form, wearing her usual kimono and hakama. She laid an envelope on Mitsuomi's desk.

Mitsuomi picked it up, turning it over in his hands. "What's this?"

"A notice of intention," Maya told him. Her expression was deadly serious. "The Juken Club… will no longer act in opposition to the Executive Committee." She held up a hand. "Don't misread me. We'll still challenge you in the Tournament. But that aside… no more trouble. I'm done fighting you, Mitsuomi."

"What brought this on?" the Student Council chairman asked curiously. Behind him, Emi and Bunshichi stood silently. The vice-president looked at Maya suspiciously, as if expecting a trap. For his own part, Bunshichi was cautiously hopeful.

"I was reminded that life's too short," she said. She looked as though the words were ashes in her mouth. Somehow, though, she also looked like they were the door to her prison cell being thrown open. "And that there has to be more to it than endless fighting."

"Was it one of the transfer students who joined your club?" Mitsuomi asked.

Maya shook her head, clearly resisting the urge to snort at that. Oh, that was an expression Bunshichi knew all too well "No. If that will be all…" she said, turning towards the door.

"Was it Masataka?" Mitsuomi asked, and that froze Maya in her tracks. After a long moment, she nodded curtly.

Bunshichi couldn't keep the look of surprise off his face. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Emi reacting similarly. _Who knew the kid was capable of_ that _? Guess we_ all _underestimated him…_ he thought.

Mitsuomi was silent for a long moment. Finally, he spoke in a tone that was both soft and deadly. "He had better not come to harm."

"Harm is the last thing I intend towards him," Maya said, her tone matching his.

"Harm is the last thing you intended towards _me_ … or towards your brother," Mitsuomi pointed out. There was quiet bitterness in his tone.

Maya squeezed her eyes shut, nodding. Bunshichi winced, as well. He knew that hit below the belt… but if anyone had earned the right to fling that in her face, it was the man whose remaining years of life could be measured in single digits. Because of her, and because of Shin… "I know," she said, her voice nearly a whisper now. "But that's why I'm backing off… why I'm conceding on everything outside the Tournament."

Mitsuomi sighed. "I have your promise to keep those two transfer students locked down? No more idiocy out of them?"

"Yes. I promise," Maya said.

"Very well, then. I accept this as a peace offering."

Maya let out a soft sigh of relief. "Thank you, Mitsuomi."

"I'm not doing it for _you_ , Maya," he said, and his tone was suddenly weary.

She looked at him, suddenly concerned. "Are you - "

He held up a hand. "I'm fine for now, thank you. Is there anything else?" His tone clearly said "there had better not be."

She shook her head, then offered a respectful bow, which he returned. She then slipped out of the room, closing the door gently behind her.

"Can we trust this?" Emi said immediately. "Mitsuomi-san, I don't think we can take the chance."

"I think we can," Bunshichi countered. "Or, maybe, we can't afford _not_ to."

Emi gave him a disbelieving look. "You're not serious."

"Aren't I?" he countered. "This'll be news soon, and the onus will be on Natsume to hold up her end of the bargain. All eyes will be on her. We can probably count on pure self-interest to keep her from stirring up trouble again." He shrugged. "And… c'mon, Mitsuomi. We have a chance to put this thing to bed." _And to keep anyone else from getting killed, like your kid brother,_ he didn't say. He didn't have to; the other two heard it loud and clear anyway. "It's fucking gift-wrapped. Let's take it."

"I'm inclined to agree," Mitsuomi said. He was still turning the envelope over in his hands, contemplating it as if it contained the secrets of the universe. "Emi, we'll continue to monitor them, but, as long as they keep their noses clean… we'll stand down. Pass the word." The eldest Takayanagi brother turned his chair, gazing out the window at something only he could see.

Bunshichi fished out a cigarette. Even if he couldn't light up inside, he could chew on it and think. He wondered what Shin would say about this. Hell, he wondered if Shin had somehow _seen_ this coming with those stupid Dragon's Eyes.

Maybe now, he could finally graduate.

And it was thanks to the little brother. The one who everyone seemed to forget, but managed to keep all the plates spinning anyway. _People really need to stop underestimating you, huh? Good luck, Takayanagi. I think you'll need it._

* * *

Maya made it to the clubhouse before her composure started faltering.

Masataka was waiting for her, concern and care in his eyes. It was only then that she let herself slump fully in relief, sinking against him. His arms wrapped around her, and she closed her eyes, making a soft sound of satisfaction.

"Is it settled now?" he asked softly, holding her as if she were a Faberge egg. Some part of her felt as though she should rail against that, but the rest of her was too busy enjoying his warmth.

"Yes," she told him. "Aside from the Tournament, it's over."

Masataka was quiet. Maya could hear him thinking. Finally, he said, "I would back your play, no matter what, Maya-san. Even if…" He trailed off.

"I know you would," she assured him, straightening up. She didn't shake off his arms, although he shifted them to her shoulders. "And that's why I settled it today."

"Maya-san - "

"Drop the 'san' when we're alone, please," she told him. "I told you already. Just 'Maya' to you, from now on, Masa-kun."

"You can drop the 'kun' too, you know, then," Masataka told her, and she could hear the pleased embarrassment in his voice.

"Maybe eventually," she teased. "I like how 'Masa-kun' sounds when I say it."

"Whatever you like," he said warmly. "Maya."

"Ahem. You two _aren't_ exactly alone right now, y'know."

The two of them turned to look at the other members of the Juken Club. Aya looked exasperated, while Nagi was fit to be tied, and Bob was obviously torn between approval of the new relationship and sympathy for Nagi.

"How long have you three been there?" Masataka said in surprise.

"About since she fell into your arms," Bob said, scratching awkwardly at the back of his head. "Reminds me, I need to call Chiaki."

Aya blinked, and looked up at him in confusion. "Why?"

"We've had a bet about this since the bowling alley," Bob said glumly. "Looks like I'll be cooking for the rest of the month."

"You _what_?!" Nagi snapped at Bob. "Seriously?"

"...club dismissed for the day," Maya said hurriedly.

Nagi whirled and stormed out of the clubhouse, doing a credible impression of a child throwing a tantrum. Bob sighed, hung his head, and waited until he was through the door to tell Maya and Masataka, "Grats. Good luck, I think you'll need it," and then hurried after his friend.

Aya rubbed the back of her head, and looked at Masataka. "Welcome to the family, I guess."

"Thanks, Aya… san," Masataka said awkwardly.

"I'll be damned if I'm gonna be calling you 'nii-san', though," she added, and then followed the others out the door.

The two of them stared at the doorway for a moment, then turned towards each other, awkward smiles on their faces. "That… went better than I expected," Maya admitted.

"Me too," he said, his smile turning silly. "Isn't that sad…?" He leaned forward, his forehead gently pressing against hers. "So. Now what?"

"You come home with me, tonight," Maya told him. Her smile felt pretty silly as well, but that seemed perfectly fine right now "We'll figure out the rest from there."

"Fine by me," he said. "I don't want to go back to that apartment. It's never really felt like home..."

"I _know_ that," she chided him gently. "That's why I'm telling you to _come_ home, Masa-kun."

"I will," he told her. After a moment, he said, in a tone so soft she could barely hear it, "Hey. Maya?"

"What is it?" She asked, cocking her head.

"...when I decided to stay, it was because you were asking me to." His dark eyes looked intently into hers. "Because _you_ asked me to stay. I wouldn't have said yes to anyone else. Not Aya-chan. Not even Bunshichi-san. Just you." He reached for her hand again, and her heart skipped a beat as he interlaced his fingers with hers. "Maybe part of me's been looking at you, thinking about you, all along too…"

"Very good, Masa-kun," Maya said, her deliberately casual tone doing nothing to mask how happy his words made her. "You're already getting the hang of this 'fiance' thing."

"I'm glad my girl approves," he replied. His tone tried to be dry and failed utterly, and his cheeks colored slightly as he said it. Maya's heart skipped another beat as she let the words process, mentally tried them on for size. They fit like a favorite shirt.

"Yeah. Yeah, I am," she agreed, and turned her fierce smile on him. "Goes both ways. You're _mine_ now, Takayanagi Masataka. Don't ever forget it."

"I never could," he said, his tone matching her grin. "Let's get changed and head home, then." He started to turn towards the locker room.

Maya brought her free hand up to his face, turning him back towards her. "Not just yet." She guided Masataka's face towards hers. An empty dojo and her fiance was too good an opportunity to pass up, she reflected as their lips met.

(owari)

* * *

Notes:

It's amazing what you can do out of spite, sometimes.

I really don't recommend it as a motivator - it lends itself too easily to negative ends. Sometimes, though, if a work pisses you off enough, it can result in something that really resonates with people.

And so it went with the first volume of _Tenjou Tenge_ , when I first read it on a spring afternoon in 2005. I wrote _Fumbling Towards Clarity_ immediately after getting home from work, staying up all night to push it out, because I was just _that pissed off_. That irked at Nagi being… Nagi, and Aya being a woo-hoo-bad-boys bimbo, and poor Masataka clearly being shaped up to be combination punching bag and load-bearing, glue-that-holds-us-together-without-thanks Juken Club stalwart. Maybe it's too easy for me to empathize with/relate to Masataka. At any rate, I thought "Hmm, y'know, he and Maya seem to get along okay, and she's better looking than Aya… what the heck." And it seemed to resonate with people. I even saw things I wrote show up in other fics, like references to Masataka being Maya's "strong right arm." (Not complaining at all! It was very flattering!)

Fast forward thirteen years. Just thinking about _Tenjou Tenge_ 's ending irks me all over again. Seriously, Oh Great, you couldn't at least give us a few lines of dialogue showing Masataka x Madoka? That was too much work for you? Once again, the manga leaves us with Aya chasing Nagi, and Masataka left with a heaping helping of responsibility. (Oh, and Maya being _dead_.) And _then_ he pulled a wholly unnecessary last-minute love-triangle ending with _Air Gear_. WTF, man…?

And, once again, I'm wound up enough to write _TenTen_ fanfics. And others - you may note my main focus now is _High School DxD_ , although I have a _TenTen/DxD_ crossover going as well. But I knew that I had to come back to this. For a long time, I didn't know how to continue it. (Not least because there is _no place in the canon timeline_ to wedge the original! I wrote that when all I knew was the first volume of the manga, and made certain timeline assumptions that weren't borne out… ah, well. If you really want someplace to fit this, I guess it works best if you assume that the state of affairs in Vol. 1 of the manga obtained for most of a school year, and that the Election Tournament didn't take place till early spring… and that F was never a thing...) But I think I know how to finish this now. (And this will be the definitive ending... although a lemon-scene omake is not off the table. If someone wants to pick it up from here, though, you have my blessing.)

Yes, I'll admit it, I based Maya's internal monologue about Masataka's face on the conversation between the two Amys about Rory, from the _Doctor Who_ episode "The Girl Who Waited." It seemed like a good balance of sentimental and tough-girl-in-love, and thus seemed fitting for Maya. (Read the last few paragraphs while listening to Sade's "Kiss of Life." It's a surprisingly effective combination.)

For those who read and enjoyed the original, I appreciate all the kind words. I hope this meets with your approval.


End file.
